Application Requirements and Policies

• Application Fee
• Transcripts
• Letters of Recommendation
• Personal Statement
• Resume
• Test Scores
  • GREs (if required)
  • Proof of English proficiency- Duolingo, IELTS, TOEFL (if required)

Some degree programs require additional documents. Please refer to the instructions in the online application to ensure you submit all required documents.

The application fee of $85 is payable through the online application by credit card or e-check (drawn on a US bank). The application fee is not refundable, even if submitted after the application deadline. Your credit card or e-check statement is your receipt. No action can be taken on your application until this fee has been received. Separate applications, including fees, are required if you apply to more than one graduate program at Tufts University. Please note: a maximum of two applications are allowed to be submitted for one admissions cycle and must be degree programs in two separate departments.

Recent Tufts graduates (those who graduated within three years) receive fee waivers and other benefits from the Return to Tufts program. Current Tufts students interested in GSAS programs are also encouraged to review the benefits (including fee waivers) of the Fifth Year Master's program. We provide application fee waivers for numerous organizations, for more information, visit our Application Waivers and Special Funding page.

If the application fee presents a financial hardship, please contact the Office of Graduate Admissions.

Applicants must list all institutions degree-granting or non-degree granting on their application and upload transcripts from each institution. The transcripts must be uploaded in English and have the applicant's name, institution name, courses taken for credit, and grades received. If your course is currently in progress, a grade does not need to be listed. Applicants may submit unofficial copies of their transcripts for application review. Please note that an institution indicating a Bachelor’s or equivalent degree must be listed on the application.

For enrolling students:

Enrolling students must request final and official transcripts from all degree-granting institutions to be sent to the Office of Graduate Admissions. For a transcript to be considered final and official, it must be sent directly from the attended institution and contain your name, the type of degree awarded, and the date that it was conferred. If your coursework at an institution did not result in a degree, an official transcript is not required. Additionally, if your transcript is not in English, you are required to submit a certified translation to our office. Many of our students utilize WES.

Transcripts uploaded to the online application or emailed directly by the student will not satisfy our requirements. Final and official transcripts can be sent electronically via a transcript service, through email, or it can be physically mailed to our office. The Office of Graduate Admissions highly recommends electronic delivery methods. Students who do not submit final and official transcripts will have a hold placed on their account. This may result in not being allowed to enroll in future terms. Questions about the enrolling student transcript requirement should be sent to GradAdmissions@tufts.edu.

Most programs will require three letters of recommendation. Current Tufts students, Tufts certificate students applying for a degree program, applicants to the engineering management program, and Studio Art Post-Baccalaureate applicants are required to submit two letters. One letter of recommendation is required for certificate programs. Letters of recommendation should be submitted through the online system. If that is not possible, you may have your recommenders submit their letters to gradadmissions@tufts.edu. We are able to accept recommendation letters for up to two weeks after the application deadline has passed. However, we encourage students to have notified recommenders well before the deadline. Recommendations remain in the system for two years after submission.

Applicants must upload a personal statement describing your reasons for wanting to pursue graduate study at Tufts in the program to which you are applying. Please limit your personal statement to a maximum of five pages (2,500 words). Refer to our program page to confirm if your program of application has a specific personal statement prompt. If no personal statement prompt is listed, please use the below prompt to guide you:

• What previous experiences and commitments have brought you to consider applying for graduate training?
• What are your chief objectives in applying now?
• How do you think this Tufts program will help you in the pursuit of your objectives and vocation?
• Please also share any additional information that you think will help the admissions committee understand you and why you are applying to the program. If you are applying to a Cognitive Science program, please describe why you are interested in that interdisciplinary program.

Your current résumé or CV including dates of your educational history, employment, academic honors, scholarships, publications, and other activities should be uploaded as part of your completed application.

Many of our graduate programs are currently waiving the GRE requirement. Please review the application instructions carefully. If required, you can register online at www.gre.org, and the Tufts University code number is 3901. Student copies or photocopies of GRE scores are not accepted, so please remember to designate Tufts as one of your score recipients. To ensure timely score reporting, we suggest that you take the GRE at least one month prior to the application deadline for your program. GRE scores are only reviewed if required by the program to which you are applying. Please check the requirements and deadlines document carefully to see whether you are required to submit GRE scores.

Scores can take five to ten business days to arrive to us after you have sent them. We are able to accept official scores for up to two weeks after the application deadline has passed.

Applicants who are not native speakers of English must submit scores from one of the following English proficiency tests, unless they qualify for an exemption (see below).

A TOEFL iBT score of 90 (or 4.5 on new 1-6 scale), an IELTS score of 6.5, or a Duolingo English Test score of 120 is generally advised for all applicants. Score requirements can vary by program, so please review your program's page for specific requirements.

To send your official scores electronically:

• TOEFL iBT: Send scores to institution code 3901. No department code is required.
• IELTS: Select the account name Tufts University – Arts, Sciences and Engineering.
• Duolingo: Select Tufts University – Graduate Programs in Arts, Sciences and Engineering.

All scores must be sent to us directly by the test provider. Student copies and photocopies of score reports are not accepted at any point in the admissions process. Please plan ahead: scores can take five to ten business days to reach us after you send them. We are able to accept official scores for up to two weeks after your program's application deadline has passed.

Exemptions:

You are not required to submit a TOEFL iBT, IELTS, or Duolingo score if you meet one or more of the following conditions, unless your program states otherwise:

• You are a citizen of Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, Guyana, an Anglophone country of Africa, or an English-speaking country of the Caribbean.
• You have earned a college or university degree in the United States, in one of the countries listed above, or from an institution where English is the medium of instruction, prior to submitting your application.
• You are currently enrolled as a full-time student in a degree-granting program in the United States or at an English-speaking school, and you will have completed two consecutive full-time academic years of college or university work before your anticipated enrollment at Tufts. If your school is outside the United States, please ensure your transcript confirms that English is the medium of instruction.

Some degree programs require additional documents such as a writing sample, supplemental essay, or portfolio. Please be sure to refer to the instructions in the online application to ensure you are submitting all requirements for the program to which you are applying.

Writing Sample

If your program requires a writing sample, please upload the document in the appropriate section of the online application. Refer to the Requirements and Deadlines document to determine if the program to which you are applying has specific prompts.

Digital Portfolio

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences applicants should refer to their program requirements to review whether a digital portfolio is required to apply to their program.

All applicants to the MFA, MA in Creative Practice, and Post-Baccalaureate programs are required to submit a visual art portfolio consisting 10-20 images of recent work and/or up to 10 minutes of time-based work. See additional portfolio guidelines here. 

School of Engineering degree applicants may upload a video presentation (2 minutes maximum) of your own design, product or research conducted, to demonstrate to the admissions committee your interest and skill sets. This video essay is optional but recommended. Non-native English speakers are encouraged to submit a digital portfolio to demonstrate English language skills.

Late Applications

Since graduate admissions and financial aid are both limited and competitive, it is to your advantage to apply early and to ensure that all required materials are received prior to the deadline. Late applications will be reviewed only if space is available for students. 

Fraudulent Materials

It is important that all material submitted in support of your application be accurate. Any information that is determined to be erroneous or fraudulent may cause a student's association with Tufts to be immediately terminated.